Mouth breathing and oral ties in Children
Mouth-breathing is a common issue that brings children in to see an osteopath.
There are many underlying causes that can lead to mouth-breathing, but one of the most frequent reasons I see as an Osteopath is undiagnosed oral ties, also known as tongue tie, cheek tie, or lip tie.
Sometimes, a baby can have no apparent problems feeding or gaining weight, but be quite gassy, and be quite prone to nappy rash. Believe it or not, these can be symptoms of oral ties, as baby has to gulp a lot of air while feeding, and this can lead to fermentation of lactose in the gut.
Once a child has stopped breastfeeding, oral ties can sometimes be picked up due to delay in speech or difficulty drinking from an open cup, or tendency to choking or gagging in weaning.
However, it may be that the only symptom is mouth breathing.
How we breathe and where our tongue rests affects us in many different ways. Mechanically, the way our diaphragm moves when we breathe through our nose helps align the spine, maintain postural muscles and give our gut a good massage to help digest food. The normal resting position of the tongue helps the hard palate form a broad, well rounded shape, providing the foundation of healthy sinuses and proper drainage from ears, nose and throat.
There is also a body of research that shows a strong correlation between mouth-breathing and behavioural issues. Many times, mouth-breathing children present with a set of behaviours similar to those with ADHD, but when they begin breathing through the nose, these behaviours change and children find it easier to rest, focus on activities and maintain the type of longer periods of calm required on a typical school day. This may be due to the fact that mouth-breathing results in lower sleep quality, difficulty concentrating and feeling exhausted all the time.
The way our tongue connects within our mouth has a fairly direct whole-body effect, due to a continuous fascial and muscular tissue from tongue to toe. Fascia is a connective tissue with contractile elements, that runs over all our muscles, bones and organs. Fascia has recently been recognised as an organ, as it is so complex, has multiple functions, and covers a huge surface area. So a tongue tie that develops as we grow may lead to back pain, brain fog and foot dysfunction as an adult. Amazing!
Book online with Dr Anna to have your child assessed for facial development and oral ties.
Image from @drstevenlin
